Curse Of The Wolf
by LuxAeternaTaint
Summary: Set three years after the events of Princess Mononoke, Irontown is complete and Ashitaka's duty is over. Now he returns to the forest and finds himself needing to protect San from both man and wolf
1. Into the Forest

**First story about Princess Mononoke. Reviews are really helpful and encouraging. **

**Chapter 1: Into the Forest ( I do not own Princess Mononoke- wish I did)**

Irontown was finished. It had taken three years and with improved fortifications and more living space, it was a sight to behold. In the eyes of all but one it was perfect, a newer, better home.

Ashitaka was not dissatisfied with the new Irontown, in fact quite the opposite, it was everything he had hoped it would be… but it wasn't home. For the past three years he had yearned to return to the forest, to reunite with San, but building the settlement had taken up every waking minute and he had vowed to himself that day that he would not leave Irontown until it was complete.

He sat near the edge of one of the spiked outer walls that overlooked the lake and the forest, staring out at the dense trees. They had grown so quickly.

Scratching his jaw, Ashitaka nimbly leapt to his feet and climbed down into the town. It was time to leave.

Ashitaka had passed the gates and made it into the forest, it was dark now and he new that he and Yakul would soon be lost. He needed to find a Kodama, and soon. Stopping where he was, he spent a few minutes peering through the dark trying to catch sight of one. He was about to give up when he noticed a flash of white in his peripheral vision. Peering up, he saw the little spirit sitting on a branch, looking at him expectantly.

Ashitaka cleared his throat. "Hello little guy! You and your brothers have helped and lead the way for me before; do you think you could do it again? I would be very grateful as the forest is no longer light and I need to find San."

The little Kodama rattled its head in response and began hopping from one tree branch to another before stopping and beckoning for Ashitaka to follow.

They had reached the center of the forest and were approaching the pool where the forest spirit had healed Ashitaka, when suddenly the Kodama stopped and turned, staring at Ashitaka and rattling it's head incessantly before turning and running away until it evaporated from sight.

_That was weird._ Ashitaka thought as he jumped down from Yakul and ran his hand through his jet-black hair before turning around.

The man standing behind him had a sword in his hand; he was the same height as Ashitaka and probably a bit older than him, maybe in his early twenties. The man had chestnut hair and was heavily muscled and lean like Ashitaka. He had hard, dark eyes and he was handsome despite the thin, white scar that spliced his eyebrow and ran downwards, narrowly avoiding his eye to the center of his tanned cheek.

Ashitaka hardly had a second to blink before the stranger sliced through his shirt and skin, carving a long straight, diagonal line across his torso from his left pectoral down to his lower abdomen, slicing through the waist of his trousers. Ashitaka fell to his knees wincing. He wasn't vocal with his pain.

"If you're going to kill an unarmed man then do it." Ashitaka balled his fists at his sides. "Plunge your sword into my heart and strike hard."

The stranger chuckled before speaking slowly and softly. " I have no intention of killing you, but I know who you are and I have heard about your interest in the wolf girl. I have come to claim her and make her mine."

With that he blew a dart at Ashitaka and it buried itself deep into him and darkness ensued.


	2. Strange Reunion

San made her way to the Forest Spirit's pool. It was dark and she needed to rest. The night was calm and warm and the evening breeze made the leaves rustle.

She caught sight of the pool between the trees and soon she was in the clearing. Her brothers had left the forest in search of mates and wouldn't be back for weeks, maybe months and so she slept alone, usually at the great cave, but tonight she would sleep here, it was too dark to continue.

San was preoccupied and so it took her a few moments to notice the body slumped up against the tree on the far side of the pool. The moon shone done directly on the water so it was hard to see clearly on the bank behind and so she couldn't make out that the body was Ashitaka.

She skirted the edge of the pool and bent down beside Ashitaka, gasping.

"Who did this?" She snarled softly, the wolf inside her growing dominant. She looked past Ashitaka and saw Yakkul standing between the trees; she remembered his refusal to leave his master before.

"Hey boy…" San said, softly beckoning towards the elk. "It's me San. Remember? I won't hurt you…"

Yakkul responded to her cooing and stepped out from the protection of the trees and she stroked his nose lovingly.

"Will you help me carry him? I have to take him to the far bank, I can help him there, that's where my pack is."

She moved to Ashitaka's slumped body and dragged him up onto the elk. He had filled out in the past three years and was heavily muscled, so it took all of her upper body strength to lift him.

San guided Yakkul around the pool, and when they reached the other side she hauled Ashitaka off of his back and carefully laid him on the ground. She pulled a large stone knife out of her bundle that lay on the ground beside him and proceeded to tear the rest of his shirt open before pulling it off. She couldn't help but look at his chest as she did so and even with the large, long wound it was mesmerizing. The flat expanses of flesh she remembered had been replaced with taught, rippling muscles. Muscle covered his body and he was no longer thin and feline.

His face was different too, harder. His cheekbones were more angular and his jawline more defined and obvious. He was still clean-shaven and his hair was the same length. He had a very thin white scar just below his left eye and she grimaced when memories of slicing his skin with her dagger came back to her.

She left him for a moment and returned with a fur pouch that contained a natural oil, this was a spirit dwelling and so everything was magical, especially the medicine. She wouldn't have been able to use this oil to treat his bullet wound but because this wound wasn't nearly as deep she knew it would work efficiently. She slathered the oil onto his chest and rubbed into the wound, her hands staining red, she trailed her oiled hands down to the bottom of the wound and then back up to the top, making sure to get full coverage.

When San was finished healing Ashitaka she went to the pool and washed off her crimson hands, working the blood out from under her nails. Then she returned to her pack and pulled out a long fur before lying down next to Ashitaka and covering both of them in the fur.


	3. Awake

**Author's note: Sadly I don't own Princess Mononoke. If you like my story or have some constructive criticism, reviews are very welcome and useful.**

Ashitaka winced as he opened his eyes; his chest felt stiff and his head groggy. He blinked a few times before realizing where he was, by the pool. He leapt to his feet, fists ready to strike and scanned the clearing for the stranger, but it was empty. He looked down to the forest floor and that's when he noticed the human shaped ball curled up under the fur.

_San._

Ashitaka knelt down beside her and shook her gently.

"San?" He whispered.

"Ashitaka…" San murmured softly in her sleep. "Never leave me again." A solitary tear trickled down her cheek.

"San?" Ashitaka said again. "Are you ok?"

San opened her eyes, squinted at Ashitaka dubiously then hurtled herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Ashitakaaa…" She murmured into his neck. " I thought you were dead…"

She pulled away slowly and their eyes met. "What happened to you?"

Ashitaka's face turned pale. "There was man in the forest, following me."

"A man?" San swallowed deeply. "What do you mean a man? Men haven't entered the forest since that damn woman unleashed the spirit's fury. Why would a man be here, in the forest?"

Ashitaka rubbed his eyes. "You. He was looking for you San.

"Looking for me? I don't understand."

"Neither do I." Ashitaka said angrily. "It all happened so fast, he attacked me then muttered something about claiming you…"

"Claiming me?" San roared. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I honestly don't know." Ashitaka replied, his face etched with worry.

"What did he look like?"

Ashitaka tried to remember. " He was about my height and build and had light brown hair and dark eyes… oh and he had a scar running down from his eyebrow to his cheek."

San's mouth dropped and her face looked like it had just looked like it had just had all of the life sucked out of it.

"Do you know him?" Ashitaka asked.

"Not personally." San whispered, "but I've heard the stories."


	4. Night-Wolf

DO NOT OWN PRINCESS MONONOKE. PLEASE REVIEW!

"Ashitaka…" San shifted nervously.

" That was no man. That was the night demon Canis."

"Canis?" Ashitaka asked, bemused. "I'll kill him."

"Don't be so foolish. Haven't you heard the stories?"

Ashitaka shook his head.

"There is a legend among my clan about the dark wolf Lupis who feasted upon the flesh of humans, it was said… that a single bite from him turned you into a night demon, half wolf, half man. Lupis had however never had the restraint to stop after one bite, so none of his victims ever survived to become demons. Yet the legend says, one moon, when a young man, oblivious of the wolf, was hunting in his forest and been bitten and had slayed the wolf, thus being turned into a spirit."

"How do you know it's the same person? Or spirit…"

San shrugged. " Lupis's remains were found by another wolf pack years later but there was no proof of the man yet there have been stories of killings further west and all survivors describe a spirit as you did. Moro used to tell me the stories of a handsome man with curse of the wolf, at first I thought maybe you were Canis."

"Why would Canis be looking for you?" Ashitaka already knew the answer.

"I am the Mononoke, Princess of the Wolves."

Ashitaka snarled. " So he's heard of you? What does he want? A mate?" The questions were pouring out of his mouth.

San shivered. " He's heard of me I'm sure, he's a wolf spirit."

"Does he want to claim you because you're beautiful or because of your bloodline?"

San blushed. "Beautiful?"

"Stop sidetracking! Answer my question!" Ashitaka said gruffly.

" I should think both, since he's a night-wolf, the most powerful of all, he'll have a notion of destiny in his mind."

" Are you telling me you're soul mates?" Ashitaka growled.

"Not us specifically, but wolf bloodlines are strong, both of us belong to two worlds, it would be the same with any night-wolf."

Ashitaka jumped to his feet. " You need to be protected. I can't let him take you."

San rubbed Ashitaka's arm, he face fearful. " That would be futile."


	5. The Day

**Don't own Princess Mononoke duh. (Please Review so I can write more!)**

Canis was getting bored of stalking through the silent forest. It had been weeks since he had stopped to rest for more than a few hours and despite his demon strength, he was beginning to tire.

He thought of the princess as he propped himself up against a tree. He hoped she was beautiful; he wouldn't be satisfied with any less. He had remembered his clan when he was a human, they had talked about her, praised her charms. She was timeless just as he was, she did not age. He knew that.

Where would he take her when he found her? Canis wasn't sure. He knew he would have to fight to keep her, fight to win her respect and love. He was handsome; he knew that, how hard would it be for her to fall in love with him? Easy. He would enchant her.

Canis closed his eyes, his hands tightening on his sheathed sword. He had better not be disturbed.

Not too far away, San and Ashitaka were still arguing.

"You can't let this Demon find you San… or…" Ashitaka was breathless; San had shrugged out of his embrace.

"Or what?" She hissed.

"Or I'll keep you away from him by force." Ashitaka growled, deadly serious.

San leapt to her feet. "I don't plan on letting him make me his Night-Wolf Queen." She said sneering. "I can look after myself. I don't need your protection. I refuse to believe this Canis will hurt me."

"How can you say that?" Ashitaka could barely suspend his disbelief.

"If he's here for me." San said softly. "Then that means he loves a girl he's never met. That's dedication."

"So?"

"If he is enamored by me already, why would he want to make me hate him?"

Ashitaka felt sick. He had come here to be with San. Never once had he entertained the idea that she might be destined to be with someone else.

He cursed the stars softly. How could they be so cruel? He had no idea. Ashitaka stepped forward and attempted to grasp San's hand but she leapt away from him.

"You should leave Ashitaka." She muttered, looking at the forest floor.

"Never."

She turned her back on him, walking through the trees and he followed.

She led him to the cave. San's eyes filled with tears as she entered, it brought back so many memories. She missed Ashitaka.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, sniffling slightly as she reached into her pack and pulled out some dried meat, her hands shaking.

Ashitaka strode over and knelt beside, placing his huge hands over her tiny ones.

"I will protect you." He vowed, squeezing her fingers. "Till my last breath."

"What should we do?" San asked.

"I could take you away? Would you leave the forest?" Ashitaka said, swallowing the meat. He wouldn't let this Canis hurt San. He wouldn't let anyone hurt San.

"No." San said softly. "I don't want to run from fate."

Ashitaka growled. Why did she have to be so stubborn? He could take away by force and then he would be no better than the demon.

"Should we go to iron town?" Ashitaka wondered out loud.

"No." San said. "That's too obvious. The demon would just follow us there. I won't leave the forest."

"Ok." Ashitaka said. "If I'm going to protect you I need to build up my strength."

"I don't need your protection."

"Yes you do."

"Fine." San said irritably, "what do you suggest?"


End file.
